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March 8, 1932. M, F. H. GoUvr-:RNEJR INSULATOR Filed July l, 1925 atto/Ima,

Patented Mar. 8, v1932 L UNITED vSTA fpm MINOR F. R. GOUVERNRUR, OR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, AsiiIcy'rroIsi.` To LOCKR IN- sULATOR OORTORATION, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARY- Y LAND v Y' `Application led July 1,

potential lines. f

The primary object of vthe invention, 'gen1 erally stated, is to 'provide `an insulator equipped kwith means .whereby a large portion thereof will be kept' dry at all times, thereby reducing danger of flash-over.

AThe object of the invention, more'specitically stated, is to provide an insulator'of the rod typeincluding anV elongated shank or bodyrof insulating material and equipped with rain shields or guards acting to maintain the surface dry.

I am'aware that ithasbeen proposed `to form an insulator with an integral outstanding skirt located immediately above the bottom cap but the shielding'of thebottom cap.

is useless or at least substantiallyso. F urthermore thereare many actual manufac turing'diiculties involved in the makingof an insulator of this character owing tothe liability 'of warping and `cracking during the steps of forming, drying and .iring.'` It is forv these reasons that I have made the present invention which has for` an objectvtheprovision of an insulator equipped at an intermediate point and'also at its upper end with shields or guards which willact to keep the surface dry, these shields being metallic and being secured to the vporcelain or other'insu-r lating body.

y.An important object of the invention is to provide a guard or shield secured to the in# sulating body by a peculiar joint which will permit expansion and contraction under temperature variations without, under anyl circumstances, permitting water to seep along or otherwise gain access. f

Another object of the invention is the'pro' vision of an insulator in which the insulating body is of a simple rod form easy and 1n` expensiveto make as compared, with those of moreelaborate form but which will, nevertheless, have increased efficiency;

Many difliculties are encountered when an attemptl is made to secure askirt, guard or shield of` metal to a body of insulating material but in carrying out the present invention I have ydevised a method of attachment which isrpractcal andeasilycarried out.a

The invention relates to insulators for high t INsULAToR 192'6. Serial No. 119,954.

other objects andvadvantages the invention preferably consists in the arrangement, coml,To lthe attainment of the 'foregoing ENI ron-ica .v l

and illustratedin the yaccompanying draw,V

\ in s in; which igure 1 is aiview partly' in elevationand partly in section ofy anl insulator constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a greatly enlargedfragmentaryV detail section: showing the joint between the guard or shieldandv the porcelain body, and Figure 3 is ladetail section through the de-f pending flange of the guardor shield illustrating the method involved in making the ]o1nt. Referring more. particularly to the drawings, I haveshown theinsulator as-including anV elongated body memberl ofinsulating material, suchas porcelain, the ends 2 of the bodyfbeing preferably slightlyconical and is provided with a sandedbelt or portion 3 which is preferably somewhat raised with respectto theiremainder. ffEngaged-and suitably secured on the ends 2, as by'means of cement 4 are caps of any ordinary or preferred type' but here shown as formed' respectively with sockets and heads. `The purpose of these caps is to .effect connection of any desired number of. ins'ulat-` ors in Aa string as is a common practice,` Carriedby'the upper cap is a guard or shield 5 of any referred variety lbut here represented as o -sheetinetal construction with av rolled sanded. At its .intermediate portionthe bod7V edge 6 and 'a flange ortion 7, the former being' provided for sti ening purposes and the latter for Vengagement upon the upper cap.

A very important feature is the provision ofv a rain guard indicated generally by the numeral 8. This guard is formed preferably of cast iron and is of disk or ring-like form with a downward pitch so` as to shed water; This guard is located at the intermediate portion of the insulator body and is secured thereto at the sanded belt 3. The` ard isforrned centrally with a depending ange V9 having an internal `diameter Slightly greater than the diameter of the insulator body at the sanded belt. In the actual construction of the rain shield or guard it is preferable that the flange 9 be provided With holes 10 at points adjacent the merging of the flange into the undersurface of the guard. At these holes the flange is nicked, notched or otherwise formed to provide grooves ll which eX- tend from the holes to the lower edge. rsuitable expanding tool is inserted within the flange, or any other suitable ineansmay be employed, for the purpose of cracking the flange at these thinned portions. The guard or shield is then galvanized in a well known manner and the cracks will of course be covered by a. skin. As a mattei' of fact the cracks are imperceptible and the formation of the skin over them is rather fortuitous and a mere consequence of the galvanizing, vrather than the result of deliberate design.

Assuming that the shield or guard has been construetetd as indicated or in some other equivalent manner, it is placed upon the insulator body at the sanded belt 3, the lower portion of the belt being coated with powdered copper or the like so that the flange 9 may be soldered directly onto the insulator body. The exact manner of applying the solder may be an immaterial detail but I have discovered that the application of a powdered metal to the sanded belt will permit the soldering of the shield in place. The solder is indicated at l2 in Figure 3. The space between the insulator body and the opening in the shield or guard may then be filled with an asphalt compound such, for instance, as what is known commercially as Sai-co, as indicated at 13, the purpose being to exclude water so that freezing will not occur.

In view of the fact that the flange of the shield or guard is provided with a plurality of cracks it is clear that expansion may occur when the insulator structure becomes heated under the suns rays. The slight skin which covers these cracks is more or less resilient and may stretch when expansion occurs. These features combined with the fact that the flange is actually soldered onto the insulator body will insure a close fit at all times, the flange hugging the insulator closely regardless of any and all temperature changes. It might be mentioned, in passing, that the holes 10 above referred to are provided simply for the purpose of limiting the cracks so there will be no danger of splitting the shield or guard itself.

Assuming that the insulator has been constructed and assembled as above describec it will be seen that it will be very efficient inasmuch as the shield or guard 5 will protect the upper half and the shield or guard 8 the lower half so that the insulator body will be kept dry, at least throughout the major portion of its area, the danger of flashover bein(lr consequently greatly reduced. As the guardjs or shields are metallic and simply secured with respect to the simple rod-like porcelain body it will be seen that the cost of manufacture will be greatly reduced as compared with insulators having a skirt formed integrally with the bedy. Insulators with skirts are difficult and expensive to make owing to the liability of warping and cracking during the various steps involved in the making thereof. By providing the metal rain shields or guards and securing them in the above indicated inaiiiier to the rod-like body, the ceramic difficulties are eliminated and the cost of production reduced while at the same time the efficiency .in every respect is greatly increased.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodimentof the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely illustrative inasmuch as I reserve the right to make all such changes and variations as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device, provided such modifications constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. In an insulator, an elongated body of insulating material provided with terminal caps, a metal rain shield engaged upon said body near the central portion thereof, said rain shield having a depending flange portion of an expansible and contractile nature einbracingly engaging the insulator body.

2. In an insulator, an elongated body of insulating material provided with terminal caps, a metal rain shield engaged upon said body near the central portion thereof, said rain shield having a depending flange portion split throughout a portion of its length so as to be of an eXpansible and contractile nature, said flange embracingly engaging the insulator body, the insulator body having a sanded belt within the confines of said flange, and the splitl portion of said flange being soldered to the body at said belt.

3. In an insulator, an elongated body of insulating material having connecting means at the ends thereof, a .metal rain shield disposed on the body at the intermediate portion thereof and formed with a depending flange portion secured to the body, said flange portion having longitudinal cracks therein extending part way of its lengt-h and being formed with holes at the inner ends of the cracks for preventing lengthening thereof.

4. In an insulator, an elongated body of insulating material having connecting means at the ends thereof, a. metal rain shield disposed on the body at the intermediate pertion thereof and formed with a depending flange portion engaging the body, the body having a sanded belt within the confines of said flange, said belt having a powdered metal coating, and said flange being soldered to a roughened belt intermediate its ends,

metal rain shield having a depending central flange portion embracingly engagin the body at said belt, said flange portionbeing cracked longitudinally at spaced' points to permit eX ansion and contraction, the lower portion o said flange being soldered to the t roughened belt, and a filling of asphalt-like material above the line of solderingand fillf ing the space between the fiange and the body for excluding moisture.

In testimon whereof I afx m si ature.

MIN R F. H. GOUVE N `UR. 

